Join Angie and Marvin as they interview Deston Denniston. He is Abundance Consulting Director for Vets Cafe. He will tell us about Veterans who have turned to farming. How farming has helped Veterans lead a more calm and satisfying life after war.

Join Bill, Angie and Marvin as they interview Lisa Leitz. Lisa is the author of "Fighting For Peace: Veterans and Military Families in the Anti-Iraq War Movement." She talks about the rift the war caused in families and inside the movement. How the military treated the wives and husbands of service members. Lisa is the wife of a soldier and talked with both sides about the war and it's affects on the people who fought and the family members who opposed and support the war.

Join Bill, Angie and Marvin when they will interview Wes Carter of the C-123 Agent Orange Pilots Association who are in a suit against the Veterans Administration for medical care for Agent Orange problems. Also we will interview Belle of Returning Veterans Project on their programs to help Veterans

Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

Swanson is Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ProsecuteBushCheney.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, Voters for Peace, and the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, and chair of the Robert Jackson Steering Committee.

Hosts Northwest Vets for Peace interview Michael Zweig, author of The Working Class Majority:America's Best Kept Secret, about "The War and the Working Class." Michael Zweig is Professor of Economics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he has won the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has served two terms on the state executive board of United University Professions, Local 2190, American Federation of Teachers, representing nearly 25,000 faculty and professional staff throughout the SUNY system. His earlier books include Religion and Economic Justice and The Idea of a World University.

Hosts Marvin Simmons, Bill Bires and John Timothy of Northwest Vets for Peace interview Professor Francis Boyle of the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign. Professor Boyle has filed a complaint with the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice, & Alberto Gonzale for their criminal policy & practice of “extraordinary rendition” & torture perpetrated on about 100 human beings. Professor Boyle's latest book is Tackling America’s Toughest Questions (Clarity Press, 2009. In the second part of the show the guest is Jeff Paterson, project director of Courage to Resist. He will talk about stop-loss and it's effect on military personnel.President Obama has publicly pledged to phase out stop-loss, the practice of involuntarily extending soldiers' contracts. However, with two ongoing wars, the practice is still being used to fill the ranks, with 13,000 soldiers currently serving involuntary extensions of their contracts." Stop-lossed Army Specialist Marc Hall (aka Hip Hop artist Marc Watercus) was placed in the Liberty County Jail Friday, December 11 for speaking out against the continuing policy that has barred him from exiting the military, including recording an angry and explicit song. Servicemembers do not completely give up their rights to free speech, and certainly not when they do so artistically while off duty. However, the military intends to hold Marc in the county jail for months of pre-trial punishment before court martial. This could become a precedent setting case for boundaries of dissent within the ranks. Hear Hall Song: "Stop Loss"

Hosts Northwest Vets for Peace speak with war historian Christian Appy about his book PATRIOTS: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides, the first oral history to bring together a diversity of voices and viewpoints that dramatically reveal the war’s impact on millions of men, women and children; civilians and combatants; Americans and Vietnamese.

Hosted by: Bill Bires, Marvin R. Simmons

Hosts Northwest Vets for Peace focus on the issues of women veterans of the war in Iraq. Hosts Marvin, Bill, and J.T. speak with Nancy Sloan, program manager of the Veterans Health Services for Women at the Portland VA Medical Center. For information call 503 220-8262, ext 55595 or ext 54838. Their next focus group meeting is on March 31st from 12 to 1 at 8383 NE Sandy Blvd at the Vet's Center.

The show also mentioned the National Womens History Project, 3343 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, California 95403.

Hosts Bill Bires, Marvin R. Simmons, Northwest Vets for Peace speak with journalist Aaron Glantz about his new book, The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans, the first book to systematically document the U.S. government's neglect of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Glantz, who reported extensively from Iraq during the first three years of this war, interviewed more than one hundred recent war veterans about their lives since returning home.

My husband and I are disabled veterans, and co-creators of the website called http://www.erniesfootprints.com. We developed this site to tell our story of the military medical malpractice and gross injustices we faced at the hands of military doctors and disloyal service members which ultimately led to our son Ernie's premature birth and subsequent death hours later.

In our year long research of Military Malpractice we have been following a bill that was presented to Congress by Congressman Maurice Hinchey called The Carmelo Rodriguez Military Malpractice Accountability Act of 2009 H.R. 1478. This bill, if passed will allow the following:

CLAIMS BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AGAINST THE UNITED STATES FOR CERTAIN INJURIES CAUSED BY IMPROPER MEDICAL CARE. PLEASE ASK YOURSELF THIS:

Q. Should military doctors deny prenatal care to pregnant soldiers?

Q. Should doctors be allowed to do the following without the fear of being sued:

The Feres Doctrine is a law that doesn't allow military service members to sue for any Medical Screw Ups, including those that aren't combat related. Feres also bars suits of any kind brought by service members. When one enlists, they give up the right to redress, PERIOD! God forbid there is ever a draft....

Many bills have been presented to Congress to Overturn the Feres Doctrine, but NONE have come as close to being voted to law like H.R. 1478 has. Many would like to know what the bottom line of Health Care and Tort Reform would be like? Here's the answer; FERES DOCTRINE! Could you imagine what will happen if health care reform allows your doctors to be held unaccountable for medical malpractice!?

You can choose to do something about this, or ignore it all together and hope that you or someone you love are never faced with having to receive careless medical treatment, but then CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, because your constitutional rights have been revoked as ours have been!

Don't ignore this issue like many congressmen and various reporting agencies have. Fighting for human rights, your rights, our rights, everyones rights, should not have been the daunting task it has been for us. It's time to put aside our bread and circus and take the appropriate action. Many of our political powers favor the Feres Doctrine and don't see fit to overturn it, and won't unless people like ourselves organize and voice our concerns. LOUDLY!

Very few people know of the Feres Doctrine. This must change! Until this law is overturned, it is our responsibility to take and active role in educating and protecting impressionable young men and women about the rights they will be losing if they enlist in the military, and warning them of those who value "military discipline" over the lives of Americans serving in the armed forces today!

If people are informed of the rights they'll lose due to the Feres Doctrine, and still enlist in the service, then they were informed and it's their choice to do so right or wrong. However, recruiters aren't telling them. People aren't talking about it, and our news media aren't interested. We couldn't protect our son Ernie, but we can at least protect others from losing their loved ones. Knowledge is power. If the Feres Doctrine is widely defended as it has been for past 60 years than it shouldn't have an effect on military recruitment should it? Especially now when they need it the most, and if it does, perhaps the needed changes will be made. It is up to all of us to make this happen.

Since this is information our country's leaders are not affording you the opportunity to know up front, we are providing you with it. Supporting our cause supports human rights. For more information please visit www.erniesfootprints.com

I am a regular listener to your invormative and important show. However, I am wondering why I have never heard a show on the deadly attack and immoral cover up of the U.S.S. Liberty ? Have you done a program on this attack and the and the long term impact on our service men cuased by the denial and cover up? Senator McCains father held a very strong opinion on this horrible incident. Perhaps this is an apporperate time to discuss or revisit this historic event. Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you Patti McKniff

After reading your plea for work I do think you need to remember that you are now in the civilian world.
Yes, you sound like you have a lot of qualifications and skills in certain areas, but to hire you with out you obtaining the necessary licenses puts the employer at risk of breaking laws and possibly being sued. Businesses have to be compliant with all these things in order to protect themselves and other employees on the job. Union appreticships are a wonderful way to start and you will be getting paid while learning. Keep looking in that direction and i beleive you will find your place. The rest of us are working 2-3 jobs here in the civilian world to stay afloat. Please dont feel like you are the only one. Good luck to you. Dont forget to vote.

Hi: I'm a service-connected disabled vet who is also a songwriter. Please have a listen to the songs I've written from a very personal place.
My Best,
Walt Cronin

SHORT BIO
Walt Cronin collaborated with his former, fellow songwriter, on their debut CD "The Gousters" in 2005. It remained in the top 50 alternative country category on Roots Music Report for 60 weeks. Walt is a former navy corpsman (medic) that served with a Marine platoon in Vietnam in 1970. His songs are memoirs of the heartache of war and it's aftermath with a beautiful love ballad thrown into the mix. Staying true to the folk history of societal woes with some bright new tunes finish off this eclectic blend of strong lyrical content and melodies.

Since the release of their debut album ‘The Gousters” in 2005, Walt Cronin has continued to compose, on his own. This CD written and sung by Cronin has many of the elements of the first CD. “ It is definitely in the folk americana tradition,” says Marty Beal, the producer and arranger of Walt’s CD from the Racketroom in Santa Ana, CA where all the recordings took place.

Marty wore many hats in this musical composition playing most of the instruments all the while, enhancing Walt’s creative style with musical expertise. Walt, the singer / songwriter on this, his self-titled CD has brought to light his own heartfelt melodies which are the result of many influences from sixties musings with a contemporary folk rock feel.

Was going over some past email and came across yours. Hope this catches you in good health. I'm in Viet Nam writung you from Nha Trang. Came over with another Nam vet. Was in HCMC, Hue, and Hanoi. Now in Nha Trang but going back to Hanoi on the 24th of Oct then home to Oregon on Nov 1st. Got any more Viet Nam songs to start one of our Veterans Voice Radio Shows?